Question
my willow plant is two years old and is thriving, i'm worried I have planted it to near the house. but my question is when is the best time to up root it and do the rooots bare down or spread wide.
Answer
Weeping willow trees will have a spread of about 20-30 feet when mature. Which will mean the branches will grow out about 10-20 feet from the trunk. They need space to give them the weeping form. The roots are a problem to septic lines and tanks but are not a problem with foundations phone lines etc. The main problem will be the limbs rubbing on the house when it gets larger. I would move it away from the house so it can retain its weeping form.
Deciduous plants may be moved in the spring as soon as the frost is out of the ground, up until the time when new foliage is partly unfurled. In the fall, they may be planted once the leaves start to turn color up until the ground freezes.
When you want to dig up a tree or shrub for transplanting, retain as much of the root system as possible. Deciduous trees can be successfully moved only if a ball of soil is left around the roots. The exposed roots should be protected with moist burlap or newspaper or with polyethylene sheeting. Every effort should be made to reduce root exposure to wind and sun, keeping the ball as moist as possible. It's best to prepare the hole before digging up the tree you wish to move.
Size of the root ball and size of the hole:
For deciduous trees and shrubs the soil ball should be:
Width = 9-12 in. in diameter/every 1 in. of tree diameter
Depth = 6 in./every 1 in. of tree diameter
For example: A tree trunk 2 inches wide would need a soil ball of 18-24 inches wide and 12 inches deep.
Dig the new hole twice the size of the rootball and as deep and fill with good top soil and mulch around the tree with not more than 3 inches deep of organic mulch not piled up on the trunk. This will help hold moisture around the roots.
